Imagine reducing or eliminating your need for corrective lenses. Heartland LASIK Center offers this once-thought-of “big city” procedure close to home. Heartland LASIK Center combines the knowledge of a skillful doctor with the most advanced technology at a place convenient for you. This facility is located in Abilene to easily serve Central and Western Kansas. You will feel comfortable as Dr. Kansal and his friendly staff help you understand how the benefits of laser vision correction can improve your vision and lifestyle. We service towns in Western Kansas, Central Kansas, and into Nebraska; including Great Bend, Hays, Russell, Pratt, McPherson, and into Nebraska including Hastings, Grand Island, Lincoln, and Kearney just to name a few!

How Does LASIK Treat Different Eye Conditions?

Laser In-Situ Keratomileusis better known as LASIK is used to correct nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. LASIK can correct these conditions by gently re-shaping the cornea (the clear front portion of the eye), which allows light to enter the eye and focus on the retina (the back of your eye).

Normal Vision

Light focuses at a single point on the retina.

Nearsightedness

Light focuses at a point in front of the retina.

Nearsightedness, which is also known as myopia, occurs when the eye is too long or the cornea is to steep compared to a normal eye. When this occurs, the image is focused at a point before the retina causing blurry vision. People who are nearsighted can see objects clearly nearby but objects in the distance are blurry. With the LASIK treatment, the cornea becomes flatter which allows the image to be properly focused on the retina.

Farsightedness

Light focuses at a point behind the retina.

Farsightedness, which is also known as hyperopia, occurs when the cornea is too flat in relation with the eye compared to a normal eye. When this occurs, the image is focused at a point behind the retina causing blurry vision. People who are farsighted can see objects in the distance clearly but objects nearby are blurry. With the LASIK treatment, the cornea becomes steeper which allows the image to be properly focused on the retina.

Astigmatism

Light focuses on more than one point on the retina.

Astigmatism is when the eye does not have enough spherical shape compared to a normal eye. The shape makes it hard for the light rays to focus at a single point on the retina. There are multiple points where the image is focused and this causes blurry vision. With the LASIK treatment, the cornea becomes more spherical which allows the image to focus at one point on the retina. Astigmatism can be treated at the same time as nearsightedness or farsightedness is being treated.

Presbyopia

The lens in the eye loses some of its elasiticity.

Presbyopia is a condition that occurs in the middle years (about 40 to 45) and makes it difficult for people to see clearly up close. This happens because the crystalline lens (a transparent structure inside the eye) loses its flexibility. Presbyopia happens to most people at some point in their life and it can be corrected with the use of reading glasses or contact lenses.

Another technique to correct this is Monovision. This is when one eye is focused for distance and one eye is focused for near. The brain can adjust to interpret what each eye is seeing so the person can see both near and far. Monovision can be accomplished by using contact lenses or LASIK.

Our VISX Laser

We have a VISX STAR S4 with ActiveTrakTM Excimer Laser that is equipped with a three-dimensional eye tracking and auto-centration system. This set of cameras monitor the pupil's movement during surgery. These features help to offer safety and accuracy during the procedure. This advanced laser is used in conjunction with Custom LASIK.

Custom LASIK with the our WaveScan WaveFront System

Custom LASIK uses three-dimensional measurements of the patient’s eyes to give each person a unique, personalized treatment. The treatment is based on how the patient’s eyes interpret and process images. The CustomVueTM procedure from VISX offers a treatment that can improve how much a person can see and the quality of what a person sees.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What kinds of exams are needed to determine if you are a candidate?

A: Your eye doctor can determine if you’re a possible candidate for laser vision correction. You would then be scheduled for an appointment with Dr. Kansal for a LASIK exam. After a thorough examination, Dr. Kansal would determine if you were a good candidate for laser vision correction.

Q: Do I have to go without contacts before laser vision correction?

A: It is very important to remove soft contacts 2-3 weeks before your LASIK exam and procedure date. If you are wearing gas-permeable lenses, they should not be worn for 4-6 weeks before your LASIK exam and procedure date. Contacts re-shape the eye; therefore, we want the eye to return to its normal state before the measurements are taken.

Q: How long will the treatment last?

A: It generally is a permanent correction especially if your prescription is stable before the procedure. However, your eyes could change in the future due to unrelated reasons.

Q: What is the first step?

A: Contact Heartland LASIK Center at 785-825-2000 to discuss this amazing procedure. We can then schedule an appointment with Dr. Kansal to determine if you are a candidate for laser vision correction.

Q: What to expect on the day of surgery?

A: After arriving at Heartland LASIK Center, which is located in Memorial Hospital, you and your driver may sit in the waiting area. You will be taken to the LASIK Suite and prepped for surgery. The LASIK surgery will take about 20 minutes. After surgery, you will be taken to another room for post-op eye drops, and Dr. Kansal will examine your eyes before you leave.

IMPLANTABLE LENSES (Phakic IOL)

No contact lenses to wash, no glasses to remember!
Surgically implanted lenses, also called phakic IOL's (intraocular lenses), are a breakthrough new option for people seeking a permanent correction of common vision errors, such as myopia (nearsightedness).
These phakic IOLs work like a contact lens inside the eye, and are placed between the clear front covering of the eye (cornea) and the iris (colored portion of the eye), or sometimes just behind the iris.

Call Dr. Kansal's office today for more information!!

CATARACT SURGERY

For the millions of baby boomers who will eventually need cataract surgery, here's some cheering news: New tpes of implantable lenses promise to restore your youthful vision. Unlike the standard single-power lenses doctors have been implanting for 30 years, the new multifocal intraocular lenses and accommodating lenses allow patients to see near, far, and in between - and even to shed their glasses. "I can read the computer screen, and fine print is no problem," marvels John Bogushefsky, 68, who opted for multifocal lenses when he had cataract surgery a few years ago. Once legally blind, he can now see nearly perfectly with any help.

During cataract surgery, a patient's aging and cloudy nature lens is removed and replaced with a synthetic lens to restore the eye's focusing power. Utnil recently, the only option was a fixed-focus lens, typically designed for faraway distances, which left the patient needing bifocals or reading glasses to see up close. The new design _ concentric circles of different refractive strengths - can reduce the need for glasses by as much as 92 percent.

Call us if you aren't seeing as clearly as you want to, and possbily see as well as you did 30 years ago!

Sukesh Kansal, M.D., is a specialist in laser surgery. He is a graduate of Temple University Medical School in Philadelphia. Following his residency at the University of Illinois in Chicago, he completed a fellowship which included laser surgery, ophthalmic plastic surgery, and corrected/LASIK surgery, at the University of Florida in Gainesville.

He is certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology and is a member of American Society of Laser Medicine and Surgery and the American Academy of Ophthalmology. He also is active in the American Society of Cataracts and Refractive Surgery and the International Society of Refractive Surgery.